Main Entry:

rhea

Pronunciation:

\ˈrē-ə\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

New Latin, genus of birds, probably from Latin Rhea, mother of Zeus, from Greek

Date:

1797

: either of two South American ratite birds (Rhea americana and Pterocnemia pennata of the family Rheidae) that resemble but are smaller than the African ostrich and that have three toes, a fully feathered head and neck, an undeveloped tail, and pale gray to brownish feathers that droop over the rump and back

[rhea illustration]